


fabricated fallout

by justsleepwalkin



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Episode Tag, Episode: s05e05 Human Target, Friendship, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, M/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-28 19:59:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8461018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justsleepwalkin/pseuds/justsleepwalkin
Summary: He's on his way home when the buzz of his phone gets his attention. A brief glance over, and it's a feed from the mayoral office. Quentin slams on his breaks out of shock, lucky no one's behind him, and pulls over to shakily reach for his phone.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Oh look I wrote... something. 
> 
> More or less canon compliant.

He's on his way home when the buzz of his phone gets his attention. A brief glance over, and it's a feed from the mayoral office. Quentin slams on his breaks out of shock, lucky no one's behind him, and pulls over to shakily reach for his phone. 

>>Mayor Queen, shot, 1:12am. Unknown assailant. Enroute to Starling General.

Quentin throws his phone across the passenger seat and recklessly turns his car around.

* * *

He's barely allowed to get three words out before Thea's got a hand on his arm and steers him into a private room, slamming the door behind them.

“It's not true,” she says.

He doesn't pick up on her blazing confidence, his head too disordered—he can't lose someone else he cares about, _he can't_. “Thea, the reports—”

“ _Quentin_. It wasn't him. It was a setup. He's alive. He's downstairs.” 

The information reels through him. Quaking relief shakes him up. There are some people that would lie. Tell him it's fine. Not Thea, not after the shit she's gone through. Quentin has a need to run from her, to take the elevator down and see for himself. But there's too much they have to do now, to deal with a fabricated fallout. He has to believe; he has to hope, and what the hell? If anyone told him years ago that he'd have so much faith in Oliver Queen and the Hood? He would've arrested them for drunken conduct. 

“Okay,” he breathes out, hushed. “Okay,” he says again, instilling more certainty in the single word. “What kind of setup?”

“I guess to trick Church, make him think he's fine, go ahead with his plans.” A twinge of annoyance crosses her expression. She folds her arms, holding them tight against her. “If it makes you feel any better, I barely knew about it before it went down. I still had to watch someone that looked exactly like my brother get shot in the chest.” Her gaze snaps away to a wall. “I'm going to throttle Ollie.”

“You and me both, kid.” It would have been worse if he was there, he thinks. There, and unaware. He draws his hands up and drags them down his face, taking a deep breath, then slapping his hands down to his side. “ _Alright_. We need to... get on this, right? Gotta make it real. Maybe you should, _ah_ —”

“Oh no,” Thea interrupts. “You're Deputy Mayor, it's kind of on you to make the address.” She looks at him, slightly smug. “You got the short straw on this.” 

“Dammit, Queen. Not even really dead, not even twenty four hours, and you're _still_ causing me headaches.”

* * *

When things finally wind down after Oliver's status returns to ALIVE, Quentin doesn't throttle him, but it's a near thing. He corners him by Felicity's computers. “You had me worried,” he growls. “Honest-to-god _worried_.”

“I'm sorry,” Oliver answers sincerely. “You left the office early. He was going to tell you when he told Thea, but...”

“ _Well_ nice to know I would've been looped in.”

Oliver frowns. “Of course. I wouldn't blindside you like that.”

“Oh, _really_?” 

Oliver doesn't appreciate the accusation. “ _Yes_. Contrary to what you may _prefer_ , I do consider you part of the team. Both of them.” 

Quentin groans and jerks a finger towards him. “No more near-death experiences, fake or otherwise!”

“It isn't like I plan it!” Pause. “Well, this time I did.” He sighs. “Nice speech, by the way.”

“Your sister wrote it.”

Oliver grins. “Naaah. Those weren't Thea's words.” 

“Well, the Arrow—or the _Green_ Arrow—usually gets the best speeches on his behalf. Time Oliver Queen get one.”

“Kind of a nice change.”

“Don't push your luck.”

Oliver holds up his hands. “Wouldn't dream of it.”

The elevator dings. Felicity flies out, wearing a strange look of panic. She stops when she sees them both. “Have you heard?” she asks. “Church has been killed. His police escort, everyone. They're all dead.”

**Author's Note:**

> \o_O/
> 
> Better than nothing I guess.


End file.
